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Oasis leader Noel Gallagher has declared that Paul Weller is brave to buck current music trends and release a double album.

The former Jam frontman's new release '22 Dreams' is a double record, which includes a guest spot from the guitarist on it.

Speaking to BBC 6Music's Music Week show, Gallagher expressed his admiration for Weller's decision to make the album a double disc release.

“It’s easily his best one since 'Heavy Soul'. I think it’s a really brave decision to make a double album in the year that the music business is shrinking, he’s expanding," declared the Oasis man. "I think it’s really really good, really enjoyable. I find him inspirational as a character.”

Weller himself added that not only was he prepared to buck music industry trends, he was also against the idea of giving away music for free.

“I’d like to charge people double the price for my record if I could, don’t know if I’d get away with it!" he joked. "I’m not having it [free music]. It lessens the art, cheapens the art. Why shouldn’t an artist be paid for the work he’s doing? It’s not for free.”

The full interview can be heard at 1pm (BST) tomorrow (June 1) on BBC 6Music, go to bbc.co.uk/6music for more information.

RICKY WILSON reckons KAISER CHIEFS have taken OASIS’s mantle as the most popular band in Britain.

It’s a big claim from the band’s frontman — and one he believes the Leeds boys have the tunes to back up.

I bumped into the well-oiled rocker on Thursday night at the opening of top London barbers Percy & Reed — and he had a few things to get off his chest.

Ricky said: “Oasis have disappeared up their own a***. They think they are LED ZEPPELIN. They’re not.

“Music has moved on and I think we are the band that most music fans would see as their successor.”

I Predict A Riot when LIAM and NOEL GALLAGHER catch wind of that one.

Qualifying his claims, Ricky added: “Our new album is shaping up. I reckon it’s our best stuff yet.

“I played it to our manager the other day, who has known us for over ten years, and a smile just spread across his face as soon as he heard it.

“He reckons that it’s the best material we have come up with.

“It isn’t finished but, in my mind, I know exactly where the vocals are going now and how it will sound. MARK RONSON is producing the album. He turned down a lot of people to work with us — a lot of big names, who I won’t mention.

“When he does that to work with us, we must be doing something well.”

Ricky’s not shy of blowing his own bugle and was clearly buzzing after playing a homecoming gig at Leeds United’s Elland Road football stadium last weekend, which went down a storm.

Oasis have a new album due out later in the summer and Ricky said they will shock fans with their release earlier than expected. The battle lines are drawn between Lancashire and Yorkshire once again.

MANSFIELD'S Town Mill plays host to one of the founding members of indie giants Oasis in June, when Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs hits the decks at the Bridge Street venue.

Born in Manchester, the rhythm guitarist is almost exclusively known by his nickname Bonehead - from the short back and sides haircut he had as a child.

He will be spinning the discs on a special DJ night at the venue, following performances from Winterlong, Four Day Hombre, Mellow Rebellion, Dirty Tux and Pylonless Wires.

Bonehead formed 'The Rain' in the late 1980s with friends Paul 'Guigsy' McGuigan, Tony McCaroll (drums) and Chris Hutton (vocals). Liam Gallager stepped in when Hutton left and renamed the group Oasis, and he and Bonehead teamed up as songwriters.

But it wasn't until Liam persuaded brother Noel to join the line-up that success beckoned. Noel had recently returned from his worldwide travels as a roadie with the Inspiral Carpets, and was armed with a collection of songs, including Live Forever and All Around The World.

Bonehead's front room - plastered and decorated by himself - was even used on the front cover of Oasis' debut album, Definitely Maybe.

And in addition to his role as musician with the group, he was also the Oasis diplomat, intervening when brothers Liam and Noel clashed.

He left Oasis in 1999 during the recording of the group's fourth album, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, to spend more time with his family.

Since then he has been playing DJ sets in clubs, with a playlist featuring Oasis classics like Live Forever, and artists like Death in Vegas and The Chemical Brothers.

Tickets for the night, on Saturday 14th June, are £8 advance, £10 door, and are available from the venue itself, www.townmill.com, www.ticketbweb.co.uk or on the secure phone line on 08700 600 100.

Bowie's a master, James Blunt misses the point completely. Singer-songwriter Jarvis Cocker celebrates the misunderstood art of composing pop lyrics

Lyrics aren't poetry, says Jarvis Cocker

Take Louie Louie by the Kingsmen. The lyrics are unintelligible but it doesn't matter: it just sounds right. There are at least 130 versions of Louie Louie out there, but none of them comes even close to that one.

Yet when a lyric and a piece of music really work together, the combined effect is much more powerful than either of them on their own. "We could be heroes just for one day" is a vaguely uplifting sentiment. But when I listen to the song, I'm there. I am swimming with the dolphins. When I'm listening to that song, Bowie has me sold on the whole package.

Because, apart from the words and the music, the delivery of the song is a massive factor in its success or failure. David Bowie delivers "Heroes" as if he's trying to sing the throat out of his body, and the result is heroic.

I remember having an argument with Noel Gallagher over the lyrics to I Am the Walrus. Noel cited that as an example of how you could write any old nonsense and it didn't matter, which I vehemently disagreed with. To me, John Lennon is not just stringing together a load of unrelated imagery. It's an active rejection of meaning. A two-fingered salute to those who look for significance in song lyrics, and to the whole concept of making sense. A refusal to play the game or participate in the charade of straight society, which he felt at the time that his use of LSD had exposed as a sham.

But, although I Am the Walrus dispenses with most established rules, there is one it does adhere to - it rhymes. Should songs rhyme? My answer to this is a qualified yes. There's a sense of intense satisfaction when you get a good rhyme in a song. But beware: it can also lead to some of the greatest crimes that have ever been committed in the name of song.

I Am the Walrus uses internal rhymes, so you've got, "I am he, as you are he, as you are me" and "See how they run, like pigs from a gun". So the end of the lines are floating free. The more complicated rhyming structure gives the impression that the song doesn't really rhyme at all, but, in fact, it's quite carefully structured.

This question of rhyme is where many a songwriter comes a cropper. It's the one thing they know a song must do, and so they pursue it at all costs. And they become a rhyme whore. A rhyme whore will do anything for a rhyme. They will defy all notions of good sense, good English, intelligibility, logic, syntax, taste - you name it, anything goes as long as they get a rhyme. And this can have unintentionally hilarious results.

The String Quartet Tribute mixes Oasis’ big guitar attack and ear-catching hooks into fiery chamber pieces. The band’s music is a pirate’s chest of English rock influences, melted down into their own unique sound – in the hands of virtuoso string players, Oasis’ melodic brilliance just sings. As stormy and romantic as the Manchester lads themselves, this is music for anyone whose world has been rocked and uplifted by Oasis.” (vitamin records)

The irrepressible Gordon Ramsay continues the new 12-part series of television's most entertaining food magazine.

In next week's programme Nicole Appleton and Melanie Blatt and their mums cook a delicious starter of angel hair pasta and clams, spiced pork chops with crushed sweet potatoes and a classic apple tart while Nicole's husband Liam Gallagher watches from the dining room.

Janet Street-Porter tries to persuade her Yorkshire neighbours to eat more veal; in Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite Gordon faces one of his toughest physical challenges yet as he's put through his paces by the Marines, then shows them how to cook a fantastically healthy low-calorie but full-flavour beef curry.

David Blunkett takes on Gordon in the recipe challenge with his shepherd's pie; and Gordon searches through the night for one of Britain's rarest and most delicious food delicacies: elvers.

VIDEO Plus+: 5203

Subtitled

They showed a quick preview of it on last nights show, with Gordon asking Liam about his new haircut.

With his ninth studio album, '22 Dreams', soon to be released, Weller's forthcoming collection is characterised by a variety of musical flavours as it touches rock, funk, soul, free jazz as much as it is by its guest stars.

Speaking of working and writing with Noel Gallagher, Weller explained how the pair's double A-side 'Have You Made Up Your Mind'/'Echoes Round The Sun' came about:

"We were talking about writing a song together for years and years - which we never got round to doing - but I think it helped because Noel came down with a pretty definite idea of what the backing track should sound like. It was something that he'd had around for a while so there's just me adding something on top of it." [Listen To Full Answer]

Weller was also effusive about the surviving members of The Zombies who recently reformed to revisit their 1968 psychedelic masterpiece 'Odessey & Oracle': "A fucking classic. To hear it in its entirety was fucking brilliant."

Was Weller ever tempted to play one of his albums live from start to finish?

"There's a few that I'd like to do," he mused. "If I had a sympathetic musical director I'd think about it...'Stanley Road' would be a good one to do. And I think it'd be difficult to do now but [The Jam's] 'Sound Effects' would be another."

Playing for the charity once again, Weller was equally passionate about the Teenage Cancer Trust:

"It's just a nice thing. There's always really nice people here and you know the money goes where it's supposed to go."

A few hours before his participation in Supersonic Night at the Limelight Milan, Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs graciously granted an exclusive video interview for the Italian fanzine/site Wonderwall.it.

In the 90 minute interview which is currently being transcribed Bonehead recounts anecdotes and curiosities from his years with Oasis, including tales from the first 3album recording sessions with the world's greatest rock'n'roll band.

The full interview will be released in the next 3 fanzine issues and a video edit will be made available via stream soon.

Oasis rocker Noel Gallagher was branded a superhero after he jumped in front of an out-of-control car.

He was determined not to Roll With It as evil forces sent the empty Smart Car careering towards him.

Noel, 40, milder mannered than hellraiser rock brother Liam, battled the motor head-on and stopped it smashing into a row of houses.

A pedestrian in Marylebone, central London, said: “Noel lives in the area and must have been taking a walk in the weekend sunshine when the car buzzed by. It was flying down the road with no-one inside and heading straight for some houses.

“He jumped out in front of the car and pushed at it with all his might.”

The car’s unnamed owner was visiting a friend in a nearby house but forgot to apply his handbrake.

When the surprised driver came back outside he was confused when he couldn’t find his car, before Noel reunited man with motor.

The source added: “The owner looked very embarrassed, but Noel took it all in good humour.”

Last night (5/23) Paul Weller’s UK tour took him to the Hammersmith Apollo, where he played a generous two-hour set in front of an adoring crowd. The spiky menace of From The Floorboards Up nodded at Weller’s punky past as frontman in The Jam, while new songs like the piano-led Empty Ring suggested a more melodic future.

L4E member Steve reports that Gem Archer came out and played guitar on 'Echo's Round The Sun' and Noel Gallagher joined him for a final encore of 'All You Need Is Love' playing guitar and singing bits and pieces! Weller also invited The Who's Roger Daltrey on stage for a rendition of Magic Bus.

GARY BARLOW and co may have kept a wide berth but TAKE THAT fever still hit London last night.

A star-studded audience including NOEL GALLAGHER, DENISE VAN OUTEN, PEACHES GELDOF, ROSS KEMP, MICHELLE COLLINS and JOHNNY VAUGHAN were dancing in the aisles at the premiere of the Take That musical Never Forget at the Savoy Theatre.....

The apple certainly doesn't fall far from the tree in the Gallagher family.

Oasis star Liam Gallagher's youngest son Gene appears to have picked up a rather bad habit from the notoriously hot-tempered rocker.

The seven-year-old shocked onlookers with his two-finger salute as he left London's Nobu restaurant with his father yesterday.

As well as aping Gallagher Senior's well document hostility towards the paparazzi, who also sported a bowl hair cut just like the singer and matching black leather jacket, jeans and trainers.

Liam, who married Gene's mother Nicole Appleton this year in a low-key Valentine's Day ceremony, also has a son Lennon, 8, from his failed marriage to Patsy Kensit and 10-year-old daughter Molly with singer Lisa Moorish.

Gene is not the first celebrity's son to show a rebellious streak.

Just last month David Beckham's youngest son Cruz, 3, gave the crowd a piece of his mind as he stuck up his middle finger during a family outing in Los Angeles.

Post-prison, Doherty’s short notice gig at Glasgow Barrowlands was eagerly anticipated by his legion of devoted fans.

Pete played a storming set and finished off the night with a nod to his recent release from prison with Oasis hit 'Whatever', the crowd went wild as Pete strutted around onstage, before nodding to fans, waving and skimming his trilby into the frenzied gaggle of people.

Me and Pete Macleod are going out on tour in November, with dates in the UK, Scotland and Greece. Dates and venues to be confirmed, but looks like the tour will start at Brixton Jamm. I will be DJ'ing at selected venues after the live set. Don't know when we'll get the chance to rehearse, Pete lives in L.A, seems like a good reason to visit the States for a couple of weeks!! Keep checking this page for more details, or have a look on Petes page myspace/petesolomusic where you can check out some of the tunes.

Jay-Z has finally broken his silence over the controversy surrounding his Glastonbury Festival headline slot.

Oasis legend Noel Gallagher kicked off a massive debate about whether a hip-hop act should top the bill on the Saturday night.

But in an exclusive interview with Bizarre, the Grammy-winner hit back at Noel for being narrow-minded.

He declared: “We don’t play guitars, Noel, but hip-hop has put in its work like any other form of music.”

Jay — who had a 2003 hit with 99 Problems — sees his slot at the famous festival as rap’s next logical step.

Respect

He went on: “This headline show is just a natural progression. Rap music is still evolving.

"From Afrika Bambaataa DJ-ing in the Bronx and RUN DMC going platinum, to Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince winning the first rap Grammy, I’m just next in the line.

“We have to respect each other’s genre of music and move forward.”

Gallagher senior raised a chunky eyebrow to Jay’s inclusion in the line-up because he believes the West Country festival should stick to its roots.

He said: “Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night, you go: ‘KYLIE MINOGUE?’ I’m not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It’s wrong.”

But Jay reckons the punters who have objected to his inclusion on the bill are stuck in the past — and he’s relishing the controversy he’s causing.

He went on: “I’ve never ever had a show that’s caused this much of a stir so I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’ve never been involved in anything this controversial. What’s the big deal about doing a show?

“I guess it’s heritage and people hold that dear to their heart and see it one way but that’s how the world is.”

With global urban music sales outstripping those of any other genre, I reckon the former New York drug dealer has a strong point.

He continued: “The world has to change. It just can’t be one thing — and that’s the beautiful thing.

“That’s why people feel so passionate about an event.

“People have that passion and have an opinion about who should perform there. But the world changes and we have to embrace the change.

“The artists of yesterday paved the way for the artists of tomorrow and that’s just how music is. For us rappers to arrive at this point has taken years.”

Wise words.

Here’s the conclusion I have drawn from the debacle: One throwaway remark from Noel at a film premiere and the world goes completely mad.

It shows how so few people have anything remotely interesting or controversial to say these days.

Along with Glastonbury, Jay-Z is also headlining the O2 Wireless Festival — and doing an arena tour in July. As I revealed last week, producer Mark Ronson will support him. The tour includes Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow.

Just arrived from Japan, these Bearbricks come in sets of three: they all feature the ‘Oasis’ logo on the chest, one with a red, one with a blue Union Jack all-over body design, and one in sky blue. The Oasis Bearbricks are strictly limited and highly collectible, so order now while stocks last!

RINGO STARR’s son ZAK STARKEY will not record on any additional tracks on singles from their forthcoming album.

Word from inside the camp is that Zak might never play the pots and pans for the Manc lads again. A source said: “There have been arguments with NOEL GALLAGHER and general disagreements. It looks like the album will be his last involvement with the band.”

Bizarre Lord Noel has a reputation for going through drummers like dirty socks.

He binned both TONY McCARROLL and ALAN WHITE when he felt their time had come.

Former Oasis drummer Alan White will be joining his brother Steve at the Jazz Cafe in Camden London. Alan will guest star at a Trio Valore apprearance helping out Steve on the sticks. For more information on the June 15th show and tickets visit www.triovalore.com

Americans Matchbox Twenty surprised the audience at the Apollo in Manchester UK with a cover of Live Forever by hometown legends Oasis. It was the band's last night on their Exile tour wich ended on May 6th.

Noel Gallagher salutes the British Neil Young's drive and individuality.

"When my musical thing took off, it was The Smiths and Stone Roses but they wouldn't have been anything without The Jam, so The Jam's influence on me has come through them. " I officially first met Paul at Glastonbury in '94, I'd actually met him once before, when I was a roadie for the Inspiral Carpets, going into immigration in Japan. Clint Boon introduced himself, and Paul said, 'I like the organ'. Those were his only words.

At Glastonbury this journalist did this interview with me and said 'Paul Weller's just been going on about Oasis in the beer tent' and I thought I better go and shake his hand. "At the time of meeting, Oasis were similar in stature to The Jam: he wrote all the songs, I wrote all the songs, we both loved The Beatles and the '60's, we had scooters on our first album sleeve, but also we had the same background. My mam was a cleaner, my dad was a builder, his mam was a cleaner, his dad was a builder, and we have the same reference points of going to shitty schools where they couldn't teach you anything and you always knew there was something else waiting for you somewhere.

"I first saw The Jam on the Old Grey Whistle Test doing Eton Rifles, and that's the song I'd put on a Saturday night, to get in the mood. He's such an underrated songwriter. He's a moody f***er too. "With the solo stuff, I hadn't heard anything from him for years, and then he was playing Manchester Academy in 1990...I lived five minutes walk from it, knew the promoters so I went up. He played into Tomorrow and I was like, Wow, f***ing hell!

"I can't think of anybody else, apart from Neil Young, who's doing anything even approaching contemporary music, all the greats were super long-gone after their thirties. He'd say he keeps going because he has always got something to prove, but I don't believe that. He just f***ing loves music. "Whereas most people of his generation dismiss the new generation, for him they re-energise him. The first time I heard The Coral and The Libertines was off him. He's always, 'Have you heard these Kings Of Leon? What are the Arctic Monkeys like? New music refreshes him.

He's forever breaking down what he does and starting again. Like with 22 Dreams In the age of downloads and piracy and doing as little as possible, he goes, 'I'm making a double'. It will be the last double LP ever made. F***ing kids have the attention span of small ants these days so respect to him.

"As a pianist and guitarist he is on the verge of the virtuoso. The things he plays are beyond me. When he did Champagne Supernova with us, I was like, "F**king hell!" He can do anything soul, jazz, blues, rock. He's got it.

"He's not in it for the money, fame, or adulation; he needs to do it. He's never known anything other than being in a band and people respect him for the fact when he gets on-stage he means it. It's in his life blood... but the amount of times he's retired round my house... We were going to start a supergroup with Primal Scream. We'd clubbed together for a van and we were going to play social clubs... and then the sun came up.

"He'll moan about touring but he's always on the road. He'll phone me up at any given time and I'll be watching the telly. He's fidgety and he brings that to his professional life, he can't sit or stand still. If he's not in the studio he's in rehearsals, if he's not in rehearsals he's looking through photos for a book that's coming out, or compiling a box set, or looking for a new drummer...

"Our two daughters are the same age [and] sit together at school, so me and Paul, we got to school plays and Christmas dos and parents' nights together, so it's gone from being the big cheese from up north and him being the king of the south to him being my mate. I'm proud to say that.

"Fashion wise, he's out there on his own! He'll call me up, 'I'm on South Molton Street, do you want a hat? They've got some good uns.' He came around last Thursday, it was pissing down with rain. He's got a full-length leather trench coat over his head, a green leather jacket on, yellow trousers and suede shoes. We're sat upstairs, outside the front window there's commotion like you've never heard, horns blaring,he's got my lad on his lap, going, 'How can you put up with this noise?' It's not usually like this so I open the window and see some c**t's parked his car in the middle of the road. 'Oh yeah,' he says 'Is it a mini? It's his car.

The traffic warden appears, there's a dustbin wagon , two black cabs, he comes to the window going to the traffic warden 'I'll be down in two minutes you f**king c**t.' As he pulls off, he just goes, 'See you later mate.

A number of old Oasis songs have appeared on the internet amidst claims that the band's new album has leaked.

The songs are actually all old demos from previous sessions and well informed fans will have known that these tracks have been in circulation for some time. In fact, most are versions of songs that have already been released.

Reactor 105.7FM in Mexico city is the first Radio Station to officially air one of the leaks which started spreading like wild fire over the Internet yesterday. DJ (Sopitas) happens to be a huge Oasis fan and included Stop the Clocks in his play list yesterday.

The Lyla single from the "Don't Believe the Truth" album had its' debut on a Polish radio station in similar fashion.

Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has always paid a lot of attention to his locks.

But it appears that his pursuit of the perfect rocker hairstyle has led him to take inspiration from a decidedly unusual source.

Liam's debuted his graduated pudding bowl bob - which looked remarkably similar to that worn by cake doyenne and actress Jane Asher in 1998 - on a trip to the shops in Hampstead, north London, to buy champagne at his local Londis store.

Nothing On Me, I Wanna Live A Dream and Stop The Clocks are now all over the internet but will not be on the band’s eagerly-anticipated new album in this form.

A spokesperson for the band told Mirror.co.uk that the tracks were old demos and not final versions that would appear on the album.

However, from listening to these rough versions, it doesn't seem that the band have re-invented their sound to any extent - despite guitarist Noel Gallagher initially claiming the new album would be "more experimental."

The Gallager brothers and co have been in the studio since last July to work on the new record, the follow-up to 2005's Don't Believe The Truth.

Links to downloads of the tracks, ' I Wanna Live A Dream (In My Record Machine)', 'Nothin' On Me' and 'Stop the Clocks' started appearing on messageboards and fansites throughout the day (May 6).

Since then some fans have copied the clips and made them available via sites like Youtube. It appears steps are being taken to remove the demos with several previously working links now dead.

Of the leaked tracks, NME.COM has had a listen to the three songs and here is our initial impression.

'Nothin' On Me'A relentless crunchy riff from Noel Gallagher and a sneery nasal vocal from Liam characterise this rollocking new Oasis song. It's a meaty return for the band, more Led Zeppelin-inspired than their more subtle recent work, such as 'The Importance Of Being Idle'. "They got nothing on me," Liam repeats, "I don't care what they say – all I want is the truth". A forceful return from the Gallaghers, although lacking the smash'n'grab choruses of some of their other anthems.

'I Wanna Live A Dream (In My Record Machine)'Opening with a soft tambourine shake cut through by Noel Gallagher's sombre acoustic guitar, Noel sings John Lennon-style vocals on this quieter number. Tambourine and bells rattling in the background throughout give a Doors-esque edge to the affair, with drummer Zak Starkey's glammy stomp pumping in a minute in to add weight to the song. "Take Me, back to the darkness where they sent me," Noel Gallagher sings on this subtle yet uplifting and punchy number. "I want to live the dream" he sings on an uprising chorus, "I want a piece of the world", before weighty piano stabs add to the build. Towards the death a classically understated Noel Gallagher riff brings the song home. Understated yet upliftingly epic, it's a song of fine balance and poise.

'Stop The Clocks'Noel Gallagher is a huge fan of this song, naming their 2006 'Best Of' album after it. Noel sings lead vocals over urgent acoustic strums, while a psychedelic guitar sound effect again adds a Doors-esque element to the intro. Noel cuts in over his own more conventional vocals with an echo-effect voice sample before his bandmates add to the build by adding layered backing vocals. It's a lighters-in-the-air moment for sure, although without the immediacy of a 'Wonderwall' or 'Don't Look Back In Anger'. "Stop the clocks and turn the world around," he sings. "Let your love lay me down…"."When the night is over there'll be no sound", he continues in a Lee Mavers-esque repetitive croon, before a drumbeat pounds and clatters towards a riffy crescendo, with a sudden twang to finish.

Oasis have an album recorded and ready for release this summer, possibly as early as June. Yet when I ran into manager Marcus Russell, he cheerfully admitted he had no idea exactly how the band were going to put the album out. “We have three balls in the air and I’m juggling furiously,” he mysteriously claimed.

Actually its not hard to work out what the balls are. The group, who have their own label, Big Brother, are currently free of contractual obligations to any other company. This puts them in the same position as Radiohead last year: hugely popular artists with a guaranteed hit album open to offers. With EMI and Warners both struggling with internal problems and falling market share, there are only two major record companies with the clout for worldwide release, SonyBMG and market leaders Universal. So that’s two balls right there. Universal’s head honcho, Lucian Grainge, is known to covet Oasis and is rumoured to have offered them an advance in the region of five million pounds to join his label group. Oasis’s long term partners, SonyBMG, would probably meet any rival offer to keep their prize, and have the advantage of an established relationship and rights to the back catalogue.

The third ball is self releasing. Following the internet led success of Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’, with the group keeping a far larger percentage of the profits, this is an increasingly attractive option for any established band. Or brand, as rock groups may be known in the future. To rival major record companies for global market penetration, big name artists are increasingly signing deals with non music partners in marketing led arrangements of mutual benefit. Oasis hero Paul McCartney went with Starbucks, The Eagles went with Walmart (in America), Groove Armada recently signed with Bacardi. Madonna has joined forces for her next release with Live Nation, who also made a bid for Oasis, despite the live events company having (as yet) no music releasing infrastructure in place whatsoever. Mobile phone companies are tying up with bands to release music, car companies are known to be in the market for music partners, so it is fair to imagine that pretty much ever major commercial brand is currently investigating the possible benefits of branching into the music sector. If this is the advertising led model we have been hearing so much about, how long can it be before we see a band going on stage in the equivalent of Formula One leathers, every inch plastered with logos?

But would Liam Gallagher wear it? For all his mouthy belligerence, the Oasis frontman still holds romantically idealistic notions of what being in a rock and roll gang entails, and I suspect being a model for advertising is not part of that vision.

Unless, perhaps, its advertising cigarettes and alcohol.

As for the Radiohead option of giving away music online, according to Liam the next Oasis album will be free “over my dead body”.

I think Noel is right but the R&B superstar disagreed, telling me: “It really shocked me that he said that. Jay-Z is an incredible artist and headliner.

“I saw him perform at the Hollywood Bowl in LA, and you’re not getting better than that.”

Usher, who is due to arrive in the UK tomorrow to promote new album Here I Stand – which hits shops on May 26 – added: “When we got to work together on my new album, I was sitting there like a fan the whole time.”

Several Oasis tracks reportedly recorded and produced with Death in Vegas Duo Tim Holmes and Richard Fearless back in 2004 have leaked on several file sharing sites and forums on the web.

The band was in the final stages of recording "Don't believe the Truth" the follow-up to ‘Heathen Chemistry’, at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall with the DIV duo, the sessions didn’t work out and Noel ended up producing the Album himself.

Songs such as "Turn up the Sun" , “Columbia” , “The Meaning Of Soul” , “Love Like a Bomb” , “Eyeball Tickler” , “A Bell Will Ring” and a great rendition of "Lord Down Slow Me Down" with Liam on vocals were downloaded in throngs. The highly anticipated "Stop the Clocks" track finally found it's way online much to the disbelief of thousands who flocked to the big file sharing Oasis fan sites such as this one.

[update(5/6): It seems that the leaks which originally were said to have come from DIV sessions are actually from one of the early Don't Believe the Truth recording sessions with US producer Dave Sardy]

Defiant Glastonbury chief MICHAEL EAVIS has hit back at NOEL GALLAGHER for criticising this year’s bill.

The OASIS legend added his words to the Glasto debate and said booking JAY-Z to headline was a mistake.

But dairy farmer Michael has now stuck the Wellington boot back into the rocker.

He blasted: “Why did he need to get involved? It was a bit weird, to be honest.

“He should give someone else a chance. He needn’t have said that and I was disappointed he did.

“He said it’s a place for guitar bands — but there are loads of guitar bands playing.”

However, I reckon Noel has every right to make his feelings known and was only saying what most music fans were thinking.

It wasn’t personal, as Noel is actually a pal of Jay-Z — he was just saying Glastonbury wasn’t the best stage for a big hip-hop act. And he’s right.

But despite Michael’s efforts defending his daughter Emily’s booking of the rapper, Jay is not the act that Michael is most excited about seeing.

That honour goes to Canadian singer LEONARD COHEN — one of the most morose artists of all time. And booking SHAKIN’ STEVENS was all Michael’s own work too.

He said: “Shaky was my decision entirely — my guilty pleasure. I want people from my generation and I’m a fan.”

On Cohen, he added: “I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot there. He is the act I’m dying to see.”

Speaking at the launch of Rock Star 08, a competition for unsigned bands to play at Glastonbury next year, Michael remained defiant this would be the festival’s best-ever year. This is despite the bill — also headlined by KINGS OF LEON and THE VERVE — being met with groans nationwide and the June event is still not sold out.

But he added: “People will come round to the idea. I’m incredibly excited by the show and I think it’s going to be the best ever.

“Any negative comments are good for us as it makes me realise how important the festival is.”

If all the debate about this year’s line-up is going to Michael’s head, we could have a problem.

The Glasto bill is the least exciting I can remember, yet it has been the most talked-about build-up ever.

It’s all rather worrying.

If he sticks to that tactic we’ll have STEVE BROOKSTEIN, AQUA and TOPLOADER headlining next year.

The Times 'Rich list' reveals the Top 50 Music millionaires in Britain.

Madonna was the highest ranking female with £300m and Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher are worth a cool £45m. David and Victoria Beckham were worth £87m in a "Chav List" published in October 2006, but now the celebrity couple have jumped in value to £125m.